How Long Does THC Stay In Your System?

Cannabis has been a storm breaker in recent months due to studies showing promising results for its uses in the medical industry. Due to this, cannabis has gained a mass amount of media attention, medical professional attention, and even government attention. Cannabis is increasingly growing in popularity due to its potential medical benefits. These medical benefits are the reasons behind governments lining up to begin the legalization process for both medicinal and/or recreational purposes.

The only issue regarding the legalization of cannabis is that after a government legalizes the drug, they need to consider drug testing. If drug testing isn’t altered, demonizing cannabis consumers in the workplace could result in a loss for local businesses. The effects of smoking marijuana quickly fade. This is known as the marijuana detection window, but that’s not to say that your system is free of all cannabis traces.

False positives are common in many different forms of chemical testing, marijuana is rarely falsely detected due to high technological advancements in testing. There are various forms and methods for detecting drugs with some being more popular than others. The two that are not covered in this article are breath and sweat drug testing.

Cannabis (Drug) Testing Methods

Urine Drug Testing

This is the most common test for detecting THC. This is because it’s not only one of the cheapest methods of testing, but it can also detect cannabis long after it was consumed. Keep in mind that the time length depends on how much you have consumed.

Singular use – 7-10 days

Frequently – 15-20 days

Regularly – 30 days

Heavily – Up to 3 months (90 days)

Blood Drug Testing

This is a common testing method for road traffic cops. This method of testing is not as common as the urine test.

Singular use – 1 day

Frequently – 3 days

Regularly – 5 days

Heavily – Up to 7 days (1 week)

Saliva Drug Testing

Saliva testing is generally uncommon, especially when looking for THC. However, this method is often used by road traffic cops for a quick way to find out if drivers are under the influence. Other than that, it’s not a great method and this is because your mouth/saliva is the first place for THC to leave and THC spend the shortest time here.

Singular use – 24 hours

Frequently – 3 days

Regularly – 4-6 days

Heavily – Up to 7 days (1 week)

Hair Drug Testing

Cannabis metabolites can be detected in your hair. It’s not common, however, because it is expensive due to the amount of effort that is required for hair testing. Hair testing can trace cannabis 1 week after consumption.

All of the above are just general guidelines. If you are smoking or consuming cannabis in other ways, it’s essential to research the laws and regulations regarding cannabis in your country. If cannabis is a schedule 1 or an A class drug in your country and you are found with cannabis on your person and or if you test positive with cannabis in your system, prosecution and fines will be set in place. You should never try to tamper or pass a drug test. This is also against the law.

Niamh Tumilty is a Multimedia writer from Ireland who is evaluating the continued growth of CBD and its presence in the news. As an experienced journalist, she wants to ensure the public has access to the latest information in this area.